Wolfgangschumann's Favorite Links on westernbalkans from Diigo

20.08.08: Serbia warned not to play against EU camp

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:38:51 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

As the EU prepares to assume responsibility for policing Kosovo from the UN, French and British diplomats have warned Serbia that its strong opposition to the EU mission and its decision to seize the UN International Court of Justice over the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence could complicate the country's EU membership bid.

Tags: eu-policies enlargementpolicy_eu cfsp enlargementpolicy_candidates serbia

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

Judah (2008), Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know, Oxford University Press

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:25:17 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

In Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know , Tim Judah provides a straight-forward guide to the complicated place that is Kosovo. Judah, who has spent years covering the region, offers succinct, penetrating answers to a wide range of questions: Why is Kosovo important? Who are the Albanians? Who are the Serbs? Why is Kosovo so important to Serbs? What role does Kosovo play in the region and in the world? Judah reveals how things stand now and presents the history and geopolitical dynamics that have led to it. The most important of these is the question of the right to self-determination, invoked by the Kosovo Albanians, as opposed to right of territorial integrity invoked by the Serbs.

Tags: literature kosovo westernbalkans serbia

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

04.08.08: Serbia hunting final fugitives amid EU bid

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:24:36 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Serbian president Boris Tadic has vowed Belgrade will "fulfil its international obligations" by hunting down two remaining war crimes fugitives - general Ratko Mladic and former Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic.

Despite the arrest of Mr Karadzic, the EU has stopped short of rewarding Belgrade by giving the green light to implementation of the trade-related part of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) - a pre-accession deal that the EU signed with Belgrade in April this year.

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicy_candidates serbia ICTY enlargementpolicy_eu

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

31.07.08: Kosovo passport holders face uncertain EU welcome

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:19:17 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Twenty EU states will begin welcoming Kosovo passport holders after Pristina started issuing the new documents on Wednesday (30 July). Slovakia will not allow entry however, while the six other EU countries that do not recognise Kosovo have not made their position clear.

The documents will replace the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) passports, which have been in circulation since the UN intervened after a Serb crackdown on Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanian population in 1999. The UNMIK documents will no longer be produced but will remain valid until their expiry dates.

But the situation for the new Kosovo passport holders remains less clear, as Slovakia, Malta, Spain, Cyprus, Portugal, Greece and Romania have not recognised the new state.

"We do not recognise an independent Kosovo, so we will also not recognise their documents. We will continue to recognise substitute passports issued by the UN administration and Serbian passports," a Slovak interior ministry spokesman told Slovak newspaper Sme earlier this month.

Tags: eu-policies cfsp eu-policy_memberstates kosovo enlargementpolicy_candidates

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

28.07.08: Pro-EU government takes power in Macedonia

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:48:38 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

The Macedonian parliament on Saturday (26 July) approved the country's new government led by prime minister Nikola Gruevski and pledged to do its utmost to speed up Macedonia's EU integration.

The new coalition government consists of VMRO-DPMNE and DUI, while the Social Democratic Union has decided to boycott all parliamentary activity following the arrest of one of its vice-presidents, Zoran Zaev, some 10 days ago, saying the accusations against him of alleged links to organised crime were "politically motivated."

"We will work day and night to become a member of the European Union and NATO," Mr Gruevski told parliamentarians when presenting his new government, AFP reports.

Fighting corruption and organised crime, as well as improving inter-ethnic relations in Macedonia will also figure among the priorities of the new team, he said.

A persisting deadlock in the country's name row with Greece is threatening to delay Skopje's EU ambitions despite any future progress on its internal deficiencies, however.

Macedonia was granted the status of EU candidate in December 2005, but has yet to open accession talks with the bloc.

Skopje is hoping that this can happen in the course of this year, but the stalemate in its relations with Greece, added to the fact that current EU presidency country France has clearly stated its support to Athens, may complicate its plans.

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicy_candidates macedonia enlargementpolicymemberstates greece

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

22.07.08: Serbia arrests top war crimes suspect Karadzic

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:06:18 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Serbian security forces arrested Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic on Monday night (21 July) - a development the European Union called a "very important" step for Serbia's EU hopes.

"On behalf of the Office of the Prosecutor, I would like to congratulate the Serbian authorities … on achieving this milestone in co-operation with the ICTY," UN prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement following the arrest.

"This is a very important day for the victims who have waited for this arrest for over a decade," he added.

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicymemberstates serbia ICTY westernbalkans

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

22.07.08: EU reactions concerning Karadzic capture

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:50:18 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

EU foreign ministers on Tuesday hailed the arrest of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic as an important step in Serbia's progress towards EU integration - but stopped short of offering Belgrade any concrete concessions at this stage.

For his part, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn called the moment: "historic for international justice."

It is also "very important for Serbia's European aspirations" and "proves that the new government of Serbia has the determination to turn the page, leave the nationalist past behind and move towards a European future," he added.

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicy_candidates serbia ICTY enlargementpolicy_eu

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

17.07.08: Macedonia's EU bid in danger as Greece row escalates

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:56:00 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Nikola Gruevski, Macedonia's prime minister, has infuriated Greece by asking the EU member to recognise its Macedonian minority. But this confrontational strategy could spell trouble for the small Balkan state as France, which currently holds the EU Presidency, has made plain that it stands beside Greece in the dispute

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sent a letter to his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis on 14 July, asking for recognition of the Macedonian minority in Greece and the return of property to Macedonian refugees who were forced to flee during the 1946-1949 Greek civil wa

In addition, Gruevski urged Athens to recognise the existence of the Macedonian minority on its territory and grant them the right to education in their own language as well as to foster their culture and traditions.

Greece immediately reacted. In response to Gruevski's letter, Greek Foreigh Minister Dora Bakoyiannis said on Tuesday that the extreme nationalism from Skopje "sows the wind, but reaps whirlwind".

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicymemberstates greece enlargementpolicy_candidates macedonia

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

16.07.08: Croatia's EU membership will not be delayed, says President Mesic

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:06:29 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Croatia will be ready to join the EU in 2009 and its membership is not going to be delayed by the EU's current institutional "crisis", Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has said.

"I understand European countries, including France, which intend to solve the EU's institutional problems before proceeding to any new accessions … [But] we will speed up the rhythm of our reforms and be ready in 2009 to join the EU as its 28th member," Mr Mesic told French daily Le Figaro in an interview published on Tuesday (15 July).

Asked if he could imagine his country joining the EU without the bloc having dealt with the Irish No, Mr Mesic said: "No, the EU will find a way out of this crisis. If 26 EU states ratify Lisbon [traty]… they will find a solution for the 27th … The European institutional crisis will be solved."

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicy_eu enlargementpolicy_candidates croatia lisbon-treaty

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

11.07.08: 1.2 billion € investment in Kosovo

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:41:17 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

The international community has pledged to invest €1.2 billion toward the rebuilding of Kosovo, with the European Commission alone putting aside €508 million to fill in the gaps in Pristina's financial needs from 2009 to 2013.

Kosovo, which seceded from Serbia in February of this year, is one of Europe's most under-developed economies and is highly dependent on foreign subsidies.

From 1999 to 2007, when under the direct administration of the United Nations, Pristina benefitted from over €3.5 billion in reconstruction assistance.

However, the official unemployment rate remains a worrying 43 percent, with youth unemployment estimated even higher, at around 60 percent.

Kosovo's economy grew by 4.4 percent in 2007, with an inflation rate of 13.6 percent as of April, 2008.

The largest chunk of money for Kosovo is to come from the European Commission, followed by an American contribution of some $400 million. Beyond the EU's own funds, member state Germany has pledged €100 million, and the UK has confirmed an aid package worth £23 million.

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicy_eu kosovo westernbalkans candidate_countries_economy

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

08.07.08: New Serbian government wants both EU and Kosovo

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:41:33 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic outlined the new Serbian government's somewhat conflicting priorities of quick accession to the EU and keeping Kosovo part of Serbia in his first speech in Parliament on 7 July. But Kosovo is already recognised as an independent country by a majority of EU states.

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicy_candidates serbia saa kosovo

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

28.06.08: Kosovo Serbs Launch Assembly

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:07:52 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Kosovo Serbs have inaugurated their own parliament with a declaration that Kosovo is a part of Serbia, defying criticism from the UN and ethnic Albanian leaders that the assembly is illegal.

The delegates present at the session further said that the perceived "urgent need to protect their lives, rights, freedoms, dignity, identity, integrity, culture and property, and rejecting illegal secessionist acts," was the reason why the assembly was created.

The assembly, the declaration adds, is a representative body for the citizens of Serbia in this province, that will work in publicly and aim to steer and harmonize the work of its member-municipalities.

The assembly has the right to send draft laws to the Serbian parliament, on those issues that are relevant to the residents of Kosovo.

However the assembly has no executive authority but reflects a deepening ethnic partition of Kosovo since its Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia in February, backed by the West but opposed by Belgrade and its ally Russia.

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicy_candidates kosovo serbia westernbalkans

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

24.06.08: Lisbon Deadlock Might Hit Croatia EU Hopes

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:38:28 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

With EU enlargement in question following the Irish ‘no’ vote to the Lisbon Treaty, Zagreb fears a fresh delay to its accession.

Some experts also maintain that enlargement to include Croatia might be possible even if the Lisbon Treaty does not enter into force.

The Brussels think tank, the European Policy Centre, for example, noted in a recent paper that while Croatian accession would require some adjustments to Nice, “some of these, concerning, for instance, the composition of EU institutions and the voting rules, could be introduced through the Accession Treaty with the next entrant (probably Croatia)”.

Michael Emerson, enlargement expert for another EU think tank, the Centre for European Policy Studies, agrees.

“It is not impossible legally for Croatia to come in with few bits of adjustment to exciting treaties”, Emerson said. “However politically, some member states will use this as leaver to try to get Lisbon Treaty through”, he added.

Tags: lisbon-treaty enlargement enlargementpolicy_eu enlargementpolicymemberstates croatia

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

25.06.08: EU relief over new pro-European government in Serbia

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:27:30 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Following six weeks of tense negotiations, the Serbian Socialists yesterday (23 June) agreed to form a government with the pro-European bloc of President Boris Tadic, in a move seen as an important step towards Serbia's future EU membership.

The agreement with the Socialist Party of former dictator Slobodan Milosevic provides Tadic's bloc with a comfortable majority in the 250-seat parliament. Tadic, who clearly won the elections in May but could not reign alone, was confident that the new government would be formed "very soon". Two smaller parties - United Serbia, a breakaway former partner of the Socialists and the Bosniak 'List for European Sandzak' - had already joined the alliance earlier (EurActiv 12/06/08).

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicy_candidates elections serbia westernbalkans

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

23.06.08: Macedonia PM attacks Greece

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:59:55 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

Background:

In April, Athens vetoed Skopje's invitation to join NATO, arguing the name 'Macedonia' could lead Skopje to make territorial claims over Greece's own northern province of the same name.

A nationalist backlash followed in the small country of 2.5 million, which US former assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrook famously called "a hole in the middle of nothing".

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski decided to ride on this wave and called for early elections. Macedonian legislators have ignored warnings from leading MEPs that early elections would threaten the country's EU accession (EurActiv 14/04/08).

Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn warned in the meantime that the unresolved 'name dispute' with Greece could negatively affect Macedonia's EU agenda.

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski attacked Greece for demonstrating "power" and "arrogance" over the infamous 'name dispute' following a disappointing EU summit for Skopje last week.

The EU summit conclusions, adopted by European heads of state and government on 20 June, did not specifically mention that Macedonia would begin EU accession talks in 2008, to the disappointment of the small Balkan republic.

In an interview with the Macedonian Information Agency, Gruevski downplayed concerns expressed in the Macedonian media over the Council conclusions. Instead, he accused his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis of not intending to close the name dispute in the near future. He warned that in the current UN-sponsored negotiations, Greece has no intention whatsoever of moving forward.

Tags: enlargement enlargementpolicymemberstates greece enlargementpolicy_candidates macedonia

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

19.06.08: EU summit unlikely to more intensively deal with Balkans enlargement

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:02:43 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday (19 June) will spend little time discussing enlargement of the bloc, and are not expected to do more than reaffirm western Balkan countries' "European perspective" – despite greater expectations from some of the EU hopefuls.

One such country – Macedonia, an EU candidate since 2005 – has lately been indicating its readiness to start accession negotiations as soon as possible.

Macedonia had had high expectations on starting accession negotiations during Ljubljana's time at the EU helm, as Slovenia – which was part of the former Yugoslavia together with Macedonia – has made the Western Balkans' EU integration a priority of its presidency.

Moreover, not winning the announcement of a date now means that Skopje may not start negotiations this year at all, as the next EU presidency country, France, has explicitly taken Greece's side in the name row, and is not expected to put a particular emphasis on enlargement issues.

Tags: summits enlargement enlargementpolicy_eu enlargementpolicymemberstates greece

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

18.06.08: EU moves on with Balkan countries despite treaty setback

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:08:52 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

The EU yesterday (17 June) opened two new pre-EU accession negotiation chapters with Croatia and Turkey, just one day after the Union's foreign ministers signed an important pre-accession agreement with Bosnia, attenuating fears that the Irish referendum could have a negative impact on the bloc's enlargement process.

With the two new policy areas - free movement of workers and social policy and employment - 20 of the 35 "chapters" have been opened with Croatia since the start of negotiations in October 2005.

Speaking after the conference, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic and Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel expressed hope that all chapters could be closed by the end of the year. "It's possible. I wish this possibility would become reality," said Rupel, whose country holds the EU Presidency until 30 June.

Tags: lisbon enlargement enlargementpolicy_eu westernbalkans croatia

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

18.06.08: EU leaders sink deeper into contradiction

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:06:31 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

n the confusion following the failed Lisbon Treaty referendum in Ireland, EU leaders are still issuing contradictory messages, adding to the chaotic situation. In the meantime the Slovenian Presidency confirmed that no major decision on how to address the crisis is to be expected from the imminent EU summit on June 19-20.

The issue of future EU enlargements is proving particularly slippery, as the current and future holders of the EU's rotating presidency expressed contrary views on the subject. The president of the European Parliament then contradicted the EU's enlargement commissioner and the bloc's foreign policy chief in much the same manner.

While Slovenian Foreign Minister Dmitrij Rupel, on behalf of the outgoing EU Presidency, excluded any changes to the enlargement process following the Irish referendum, French President and upcoming EU Council President Nicolas Sarkozy warned that "for opening to the Balkans, to Croatia, we need the Lisbon Treaty". Sarkozy's comments were made in Prague, where he was trying to convince his eurosceptic hosts that the Czech Republic should not halt its ratification process. Ratification has indeed stalled there pending a ruling from the Constitutional Court.

Tags: constitution lisbon-treaty ireland enlargement enlargementpolicymemberstates

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

17.06.08: EU mulls Lisbon Treaty sweeteners for Ireland

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:28:10 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

As EU foreign ministers try to breathe life back into the Lisbon Treaty, the charter of institutional reforms rejected by Irish voters last week, Dublin is likely to be offered stronger guarantees in the sensitive areas of taxation, defence and family policies.

According to the Financial Times, "explanatory protocols" should explicitly state that the document does not affect Ireland's ability to set its own tax rates, the country's neutrality status or its abortion policy.

Another solution being floated involves a legal assurance that Ireland will never lose its seat at the European Commission table, the Irish Times reports. The Lisbon Treaty enables EU leaders to put the reduction of the size of the commission on ice.

Either scenario is expected to be agreed at the first top-level meeting of EU leaders under the French EU presidency in October.

Irish No will not put brakes on EU enlargement

Aside from the size of the next European Commission - now capped by the current EU rules - a question mark hangs over the 27-nation bloc's capacity to absorb new members.

The Nice Treaty is tailored to no more than 27 member states.

When asked about the prospects of EU hopefuls' accession to the EU, Mr Rupel excluded any changes to the process.

"The outcome of the Irish referendum in no way changes enlargement policy...The EU unanimously decided to invited the countries of the Western Balkans to take membership so there is no doubt about that," the minister said, but added: "How we will carry that out that is another question."

Tags: constitution ireland enlargement enlargementpolicy_eu westernbalkans

Posted by: wolfgangschumann

17.06.08: EU ministers: Treaty 'not dead', 'emergency plan' needed

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:48:03 -0000

Highlights and Sticky Notes:

The bloc's foreign ministers yesterday (16 June) discussed options to save the Lisbon Treaty despite its rejection in the Irish referendum last Friday, one being to offer Ireland certain assurances of its sovereignty and have it vote again next year.

Halting the ratification process must not be an option, foreign ministers vowed after the meeting, with the only borderline country being the Czech Republic, where the treaty is under review by the court (EurActiv 16/06/08)

"The worst would be for Brussels to impose something on Ireland," Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said after the meeting.

According to him, there were three scenarios which should be categorically avoided: a long period of reflection such as the one following the failure of the constitution, a renegotiation of the Lisbon Treaty, and the suspension of the ratification process.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the EU Presidency until 30 June, insisted the EU was not in a crisis. He expressed his confidence that "sooner or later these reforms [envisaged by the Lisbon Treaty] will see the light of day". But, he added, it would be "risky to say that we are going to give life back to the treaty while faced with a deadlock".

Meanwhile, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn further reassured EU candidate countries that enlargement is not threatened by the Irish 'no', said, dismissing calls such as that from European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering, who said he saw Croatia as the last country to join for now as long as the new treaty is still not in place.